ENERGY USE AND DELIVERY – LESSON PLAN 3.6

Energy at Home This lesson is designed for 3rd – 5th grade students in a variety of school settings (public, private, STEM schools, and home schools) in the seven states served by local power companies and the Tennessee Valley Authority. Community groups (Scouts, 4-H, after school programs, and others) are encouraged to use it as well. This is one lesson from a three-part series designed to give students an age-appropriate, informed view of energy. As their understanding of energy grows, it will enable them to make informed decisions as good citizens or civic leaders.

This lesson plan is suitable for all types of educational settings. Each lesson can be adapted to meet a variety of class sizes, student skill levels, and time requirements.

Setting Lesson Plan Selections Recommended for Use Smaller class size, higher student ability, and /or longer class length

• The “Modeling” Section contains teaching content.• While in class, students can do “Guided Practice,” complete the

“Recommended Item(s)” and any additional guided practice items the teachermight select from “Other Resources.”

• NOTE: Some lesson plans do and some do not contain “Other Resources.”• At home or on their own in class, students can do “Independent Practice,”

complete the “Recommended Item(s)” and any additional independentpractice items the teacher selects from “Other Resources” (if provided in theplan).

Average class size, student ability, and class length

• The “Modeling” Section contains teaching content.• While in class, students complete “Recommended Item(s)” from “Guided

Practice” section.• At home or on their own in class, students complete “Recommended Item(s)”

from “Independent Practice” section.Larger class size, lower student ability, and/or shorter class length

• The “Modeling” Section contains teaching content.• At home or on their own in class, students complete “Recommended Item(s)”

from “Independent Practice” section.

Electrical Safety Reminder: Teachers should remind students that electricity is dangerous and that an adult should be present when any recommended activities or worksheets are being completed at home. Always obey instructions on warning labels and ensure one has dry hands when touching electronics or appliances.

Performance Objectives By the end of this lesson, students will be able to: • Read and answer real world questions about an electric bill.• Plot points to create a line graph representing monthly electric

charges.• Interpret a line graph depicting monthly electric charges.

Public School System Teaching Standards Covered

Common Core Mathematics • CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.MD.B.3 • CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.OA.D.8 • CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.OA.A.3 • CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.4.MD.A.1 • CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.4.MD.B.4 • CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.4.OA.A.3 • CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.5.MD.A.1 • CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.5.MD.B.2 • CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.5.OA.A.2

Common Core Language Arts/Reading • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.1• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.3• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.7• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.5• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.3• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.5

(if students do the “bookreport” on the electric bill)

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.7• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.3• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.7

State Science Standards • GA S3CS1.1.b• GA S3CS2.a• GA S3CS4.b• GA S4CS1.c• GA S4CS2.a,b, and c• GA S5CS1.c• GA S5CS2.a,b, and c• GA S5CS4.b and c• TN Science GLE0307.Inq.3• TN Science GLE0407.Inq.3• TN Science GLE0507.Inq.3• KY.3-ESS3-1• KY.3-ESS2-1• AL.4-PS-1• VA Science Goal 3• VA Science Goal 4• VA Science Goal 6• VA 3.1.h, j, and m• VA 4.1.a,e,i, k, and m• VA 5.1.g, I, and k• MS 3.1.d and e• MS 4.1.d and e• MS 5.1.b, d, e, g, and h

LESSON PLAN: LESSON 3.6 – ENERGY AT HOME Page 1 of 5

LESSON PLAN: LESSON 3.6 – ENERGY AT HOME Page 2 of 5

I. Anticipatory Set (Attention Grabber)

Essential Question

What does an electric bill tell us about the use of energy in a home?

II. Modeling (Concepts to Teach)

Electric Bills • Here is an example of an electric bill. (Teachers, if possible show a bill from the local power company.

However, if a local bill is not available, view this Nashville Electric Service (NES) bill): http://www.nespower.com/PayMyBill/understandmybill2.aspx (this example includes an explanation for each part of the bill—simply click on each section and read about it).

• If using the NES bill example, teachers read and review the Usage History Graph and ask math questionsrelated to it, such as: Which month had the highest amount of kilowatt-hours (kWh) used? Why might that be? Which summer months were probably the hottest? What was the amount of electricity (kilowatt-hour – kWh) used in January? What is a possible reason for

the family using that much in that month? How much more electricity did this family use last month than this month?(Note to educator: Weather has a lot to do with the amount of kWh required to keep your home comfortable. As a general rule, people use more air conditioning during summer months and that means more kWh. If the home has electric heat instead of gas, more kWh might be used in the winter.)

REMEMBER What is shown in an electric bill? (Class discussion)

UNDERSTAND Why is the information in an electric bill important? (Class discussion)

APPLY Looking at an electric bill, what unit of measurement is used to show how much electricity is used each month? (Class discussion) Answer: Electricity in the home is measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh) consumed on a monthly basis.

ANALYZE

Compare and contrast what months of the year may have high vs. low energy use and discuss why. (Teachers write the months of the year and seasons on the board. Together, teachers and students identify and label possible high and low energy use months and discuss why. Teacher explains that each home uses energy differently and energy use is significantly affected by weather).

EVALUATE What can you and your family do with the usage history information (13 months of energy use) in the electric bill? (Class discussion)

IV. Guided Practice Ideas

Recommended Item • Math Activity (see below)

Other Resources Practice that uses math/reading standards: • Math Activity: Calculate how much electricity you, your family, and your class use in a day.

http://teachcoal.org/energy-and-you/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/LessonPlan-HowMuchElectricity.pdf • Go to your utility’s website and download the last twelve month usage; determine how much each kilowatt-hour

used costs (total bill divided by the total number of kilowatt-hours) and explain why each month’s kWh usage was different.

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III. Checking for UnderstandingTeachers can ask students these questions to determine understanding of concepts

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V. Independent Practice Ideas

Recommended Items Personal Practice Worksheets and Answer Keys provided (see below) Parent or Guardian Interview: Interview Guide provided. (see below)

Other Resources Personal Practice – Worksheets and Answer Keys provided • Read an Electric Bill Worksheet and Answer Key provided• Graphing Monthly Electric Bills Worksheet and Answer Key provided• Identify ways that a family can reduce energy use in each month and rank those efforts in priority of most

effective in reducing the use to least effective in reducing the use. (Student writes these on a piece ofpaper.)

Practice That May Involve Parents or Guardians • At-home Scavenger Hunt: Students find five things in their home that run on electricity and contribute to the

electric bill. List them on a piece of paper. (Ex. Lamp, air conditioner, hair dryer, etc.). • Parent or Guardian Interview: Teachers ask students to interview their parents/guardians on the use of

electricity in their home. Interview Guide provided. • In-home audit: Students go online to www.energyrightsolutions.com. Click on “Solutions for the Home”

then “Energy Saving Tools” in the header bar and listen to the Online Energy Audit video. After listening, student should click on “Do it Yourself Energy Evaluation” and take the online energy audit using his / her home and his / her home’s energy usage. Student can print off results of the audit, discuss the results with his/her family or guardian, and list actions his/her family has committed to take based on audit results.

Option • Write a “Book Report” on your family’s electric bill. Teachers instruct students to write a book report on their

family’s electric bill. It can include characters, setting, main idea, author, etc.

VI. Assessment

These items provide a check for understanding so teachers can easily determine whether concepts need to be reinforced. These items can be graded, if grades are desired. • Read an Electric Bill Worksheet and Answer Key provided• Graphing Monthly Electric Bills Worksheet and Answer Key provided

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VII. Materials Needed

The following materials are needed for the “Recommended Items” in Guided Practice & Independent Practice sections. • Optional: calculators

VIII. Closing the Lesson

In addition to the Essential Question shown below, teachers can reference the Performance Objectives at the top of the Lesson Plan.

Essential Question

What does an electric bill tell us about the use of energy in a home?

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WORKSHEET FOR ENERGY AT HOME LESSON 3.6

Read an Electric Bill Objective: Students will be able to read and answer real world questions about an electric bill.

Energy Management InformationReading

Date Elapsed Time

(Days) kWh Used

Average Daily kWh

Total kWh Cost ($)

Feb 11, 2013 60 952 16.1 98.87 Dec 13, 2012 57 987 15.7 94.37 Oct 17, 2012 62 1165 18.8 116.30 Aug 16, 2012 61 997 16.1 102.55 Jun 15, 2012 65 1307 20.7 127.91 April 11, 2012 55 1271 21.9 124.97 Feb 15, 2012 67 1311 19.6 128.24 Dec 9, 2011 56 858 15.3 91.18

Note to Student: Electricity used in your home is measured in kilowatt hours. Kilowatt-hour is abbreviated as kWh.

1. Approximately how many months did this billing period cover? ________

2. How was the number of kWh determined? ________________________________________

3. What was the amount of kWh used in this billing period? ___________

4. What is the total amount of the bill? $_____________

5. What is the cost per kWh in Feb? (hint: Cost/kWh Used) ____________

6. How do you think the amount of the bill was determined?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

WORKSHEET: READ AN ELECTRIC BILL (FOR LESSON 3.6 ENERGY AT HOME) Page 1 of 1

NAME: _______________________

1. What is the highest bill? In what month does it occur?______________________________________________________________________________

2. What is the lowest bill? In what month does it occur?______________________________________________________________________________

3. List two ways to conserve energy in the summer months.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. List two ways to conserve energy in the winter months.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

WORKSHEET FOR ENERGY AT HOME LESSON 3.6

Graph Monthly Electric Bills Objective: Students will demonstrate how to plot points to create a line graph representing monthly electric charges.

Monthly Bill Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec $256 $202 $169 $154 $158 $280 $389 $354 $273 $158 $206 $272

WORKSHEET: GRAPH MONTHLY ELECTRIC BILLS (FOR LESSON 3.6 ENERGY AT HOME) Page 1 of 1

$0$50

$100$150$200$250$300$350$400

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Monthly Electric Bill Graph ($)

Instructions: Plot the monthly electric bill amount on the graph based on the chart below. Then, connect the points.

NAME: _______________________

INTERVIEW GUIDE: LESSON 3.6 – ENERGY AT HOME

INTERVIEW GUIDE FOR ENERGY AT HOME LESSON 3.6

Interview Guide Instructions: Students interview parents or guardians on their use of electricity in the home.

1. What are some things we do in our family to use electricity more efficiently?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

2. Do we ever waste electricity by accident?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

3. Can we improve our energy efficiency? How?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

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NAME: _______________________

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Answer Keys

ANSWER KEY FOR WORKSHEET: READ AN ELECTRIC BILL

Energy Management InformationReading

Date Elapsed Time

(Days) kWh Used

Average Daily kWh

Total kWh Cost ($)

Feb 11, 2013 60 952 16.1 98.87 Dec 13, 2012 57 987 15.7 94.37 Oct 17, 2012 62 1165 18.8 116.30 Aug 16, 2012 61 997 16.1 102.55 Jun 15, 2012 65 1307 20.7 127.91 April 11, 2012 55 1271 21.9 124.97 Feb 15, 2012 67 1311 19.6 128.24 Dec 9, 2011 56 858 15.3 91.18

1. Approximately how many months did this billing period cover? ________

2. How was the number of kWh determined? _________________________________________

3. What was the amount of kWh used in this billing period? ___________

4. What is the total amount of the bill? $_____________

5. What is the cost per kWh in Feb? (hint: Cost/kWh Used) ___________________

6. How do you think the amount of the bill was determined? ______________________________

ANSWER KEY FOR READ AN ELECTRIC BILL WORKSHEET FOR LESSON 3.6 Page 1 of 1

2 months

Current meter reading minus previous meter reading

952

105.79

Energy cost + Customer Charge

(98.87 / 952 = 0.103)

1. What is the highest bill? In what month does it occur?______________________________________________________________________________

2. What is the lowest bill? In what month does it occur?______________________________________________________________________________

3. List two ways to conserve energy in the summer months.______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

4. List two ways to conserve energy in the winter months.______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

ANSWER KEY FOR GRAPHING MONTHLY ELECTRIC BILLS

Graph Monthly Electric Bills Objective: Students will demonstrate how to plot points to create a line graph representing monthly electric charges.

Monthly Bill Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec $256 $202 $169 $154 $158 $280 $389 $354 $273 $158 $206 $272

ANSWER KEY FOR GRAPH MONTHLY ELECTRIC BILLS WORKSHEET FOR LESSON 3.6 Page 1 of 1

Instructions: Plot the monthly electric bill amount on the graph based on the chart below. Then, connect the points.

$0$50

$100$150$200$250$300$350$400

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Monthly Electric Bill Graph ($)

$389, July

$154, April

Ex. Turn down A/C during the day when no one is home, plant a tree! Shade trees can help keep a home cooler in the summer

Ex. Turn down heat during the day when no one is home, use area rugs on hardwood floors to keep feet warm